The Federal Ministry of Environment has officially joined Nigeria’s digital transformation drive with the launch of the Galaxy Backbone 1Government Cloud Digitalisation Programme
During the flag-off ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, described the initiative as a milestone in modernising environmental governance and advancing Nigeria’s sustainability goals through technology.
“Digitalisation is no longer optional; it is a necessity. Through the Galaxy Backbone 1Government Cloud, we are enabling data-driven environmental management, eliminating paperwork, reducing operational costs, and directly cutting carbon emissions,” he said.
He added that the project would enhance transparency, promote evidence-based policymaking, and improve service delivery to citizens.
Backstory
In May 2024, GBB presented its ambitious vision to digitise 70 per cent of federal government services by 2025. At the heart of this vision is the 1Government Cloud (1Gov) framework, a software-and infrastructure solution designed to bring Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) into a unified digital environment.
In addition to service delivery, there was a strong emphasis on data sovereignty, ensuring that Nigeria retains control over its own digital assets rather than relying on foreign platforms or infrastructure. This positioned 1Gov not just as a technology tool, but as part of a broader national autonomy agenda.
By September, the initiative had moved from vision into the roll-out phase. Several MDAs, including the Ministries of Solid Minerals, Steel Development, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Intergovernmental Affairs, had begun onboarding the 1Gov platform under the Sovereign Digitalisation Programme.
Transition to paperless governance
The Permanent Secretary, Mahmud Adam Kambari, commended the Minister for championing the transition to a paperless government. He also praised the Galaxy Backbone (GBB) 1Government Cloud Team, led by Mr. Wumi Oghoetuoma, for providing a secure and indigenous digital platform for government operations.
Oghoetuoma, who serves as Programme Director of the 1Government Cloud Digitalisation initiative, described the programme as a bold stride in Africa’s digital transformation journey.
“The Galaxy 1Government Programme is leading public sector digitalisation in Africa, for Africa, by Africa. This is not just about technology; it is about protecting our digital destiny and sovereignty,” he said.
- He explained that the 1Government Cloud platform provides a suite of homegrown applications built to replace fragmented and foreign systems, including:
- GovECM (enterprise content management), GovDrive (secure file storage), GovESign (digital signatures), GovMail (official communication), GovInMail (secure inter-MDA messaging), GovConference (virtual meetings), GovAssetManager (asset tracking), and GovOTP (multi-factor authentication).
- According to Oghoetuoma, the Ministry has already gone live on the GBB 1Gov Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS), with 15 offices and departments onboarded, 316 workflows created, and 890 user accounts activated.
Dr. Sam Nwosu, CEO of Secured Records Management Solutions Ltd, praised the project as proof of Nigeria’s ability to develop world-class digital infrastructure and a major step toward technological self-reliance.
